


A Brief Interlude

by LectorEl



Series: Hound [4]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Hound's interested and willing but it's dubious how much he's capable of giving meaningful consent, M/M, Ra's no, Ra's somehow manages to be even creepier by respecting a boundary, Sex Pollen, dub-con, first actual porn of Houndverse that's been posted here, fucking with tropes, quit being a creep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-28
Updated: 2014-03-28
Packaged: 2018-01-17 08:33:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1380961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LectorEl/pseuds/LectorEl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ra's gets exposed to an unknown substance, Hound does clean-up, and they both deviate from their standard roles.<br/>(Or, that one time they got dosed with sex pollen and had sex that <i>wasn't</i> an extended exercise of dominance and submission.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Brief Interlude

The first hours after the – incident, Hound decides, is the best word – are razor-edged in his memory. Though he had received only the slightest brush with the contaminant that his master had been attacked with, his heart had still pulsed rabbit-fast. He felt nauseous, in a way disconnected from worry or fear.

In the wake of Ra’s’ departure, chaos had taken the league. Even the brief moments Hound spent assuring his master reached quarantine safely had taken too long.

“Gentlepeople, hush,” Hound said, standing in front of the ornate chair Ra’s used to hold open court. It is strange, how the taste of blood seems to linger, how his voice does not shake, and fear does not rise. But still the chaos continued; voices raised in argument and people brandishing weapons.

Hound sighed, and unsheathed his knife.

Five minutes, and one dead body later, Hound had his desired silence. _(and if Hound had always nursed a private hatred for the dead man, and his barely-veiled contempt, well. That was Hound’s business.)_

“You should all be ashamed,” Hound said, his soft voice echoing in the utter quiet. “A minor inconvenience, and you turn to quarreling, frightened children. Do you think our master will be pleased to see such incompetence?”

Fear, true fear, deeper than the panic that had taken them, appears in the group’s eyes. Hound closed his eyes briefly, nodded shallowly, and looked across his audience once more.

“We must perform better than this.” Hound softened his voice, drawing them in. “Calm. The guards shall double their patrols – go now to your stations. Academics and other non-combatants will go to the green room for the moment, and the Ubu will be stationed at the exits. All others should know what their duties are in this situation. Unless you absented yourself from the drills?”

Headshakes. Hound gestured the crowd out of the court. When the last footsteps faded, he sagged back against the chair, willing his heart to slow. They’d obeyed, no small wonder.

Most were familiar with him as Ra’s’ pet, lapdog and servant, his voice on rare occasions. Some few knew him as Ra’s’ weapon. He had no official power within the league, only the sway of being his master’s companion and a calm voice amongst the chaos.

It had been enough, this time. He could only hope his master would be pleased. _(_ _Perhaps Ra’s would let Hound kneel, and please him in another way. He’d always loved Ra’s’ hands in his hair.)_

“What is the status on capturing the intruder?” Hound asked, not bothering to look at the ninja that hovered just beyond his vision.

A sigh, somewhere behind his left shoulder. “Western wing’s in lockdown. Ventilation system’s been isolated, but cutting the others is slow going in this old ruin,” Lieutenant Huang said, her voice aggravated. “Can’t you convince boss to stay somewhere that wasn’t built before the invention of gunpowder? Just once?”

Hound’s lips twitched up into a nearly-invisible smile, his usual wariness slipping. “I have no control over where our master chooses to make base, you know that.”

“Couldn’t fucking hurt to try,” Huang muttered. “Keeping security tight in these rock piles gives me fits.”

“Could be worse. At least it’s not the castle in Basque,” Hound said, the words coming to his lips without permission.

Huang snorted. “Is that an insult to our dearest lord and master’s taste? I didn’t think you had it in you.”

“As long as no word of my opinion reaches him,” Hound agreed, buoyed by the fade of the nausea to a gentle euphoria. “Shall we hunt down this interloper, Lieutenant?”

“Let’s do this thing.” Huang smirked at him. “Bet I can find him first.”

Hound cocked his head to the side and raised an eyebrow. “Perhaps. The world is full of such strange occurrences. Will you take the right-hand hallway?”

“Works for me,” Huang agreed, turning towards it. “…wait a second, I caught that!I knew you had a sense of humor, you bastard! Wait till I tell everyone!”

“No one would believe it,” Hound told her, almost laughing.

***

Hound paused outside his master’s door, and ran his tongue across his bloodied lip once again. Ra’s behavior right after the poisoning - Hound found himself chewing on the inside of his cheek, and forced himself to stop. It was strange, that Ra’s had kissed him. Stranger still how he’d behaved afterward.

Ra’s rarely kissed Hound, not mouth to mouth. And certainly never in the hallways of a League base, where anyone could see. Certainly, he never pinned Hound against a wall, kissing him like a drowning man swallowing down air.

Hound hadn’t understood – he _still_ didn’t understand why his master had done such a thing, in this place, at this time of all times. And he’d reacted like a foolish child, skittish and shy.

He’d tried to pull away, for just a fraction of a moment before reason reasserted itself. But that had been enough for his master to notice. For his master to step back, eyes dark, lips pressed into a thin line.

Hound had tried to follow, to make up for his poor behavior, but – he took a step back from the memory, drawing back his control until he could be still again. But a there was a part of him that still shook for what had happened.

Ra’s had smiled, a grim little expression Hound rarely saw. “I do believe I am not in my right mind, pet.” And then he’d vanished into the quarantine suite, leaving Hound with a bloodied lip and an anxious hum beneath his skin that refused to fade.

But now the intruder was gone, and Hound’s place was back at his master’s side. He had the keys to the quarantine, the only other set besides Ra’s’ own. The door opened easily, falling shut behind him, sealing it against the outside world.

“Master?” Hound asked, letting the thick inner door between the airlock and the suite fall shut. The rooms were spartan, for Ra’s; the main room had only a single table and lounging chair, with a brocade curtain across an archway towards the back. The curtains were pulled aside, allowing Hound a view of a rumpled bed as his master approached.

“Hound.” Ra’s’ hair was damp, and his face somewhat drawn, but otherwise hale. Hound took Ra’s’ offered hand; let his master draw him into a loose embrace. Ra’s’ hands against his skin, his cheek atop Hound’s head, the blur of brocade curtains in the corner of his eye.

The moment felt fragile, like Hound might shatter it if he breathed. For a long moment, he did nothing but rest his head against Ra’s shoulder, letting the man’s presence sooth him. _(To be apart is still the worst punishment Ra’s could inflict upon him.)_

“You did well today,” Ra’s said, cupping his cheek and gently tilting his head up so they were looking eye to eye. From there, it seemed the easiest thing in the world to arch up and kiss him, without waiting for permission, for his master to initiate. Ra’s made a sound like a sigh, and Hound pulled away to laugh breathlessly, a sort of dizzy exultation overtaking him, overtaking Ra’s too, by the soft brightness of his eyes.

Ra’s pulled them down onto the bed, against the headboard, Hound half-sprawled across his lap. Hound straightened, wrapping an arm around Ra’s neck to support himself. _(How odd, a distant part of his mind murmured. To be so careless with when and how they touched. To touch his master without asking permission. There was –)_

Ra’s made a sound of amusement in the back of his throat, and guided him the rest of the way upright. “We are both effected then.”

Hound tilted his head at Ra’s in obvious question.

“Have I ever told you of Pamela Isley, pet?” Ra’s asked.

Hound shook his head, attention fixed on the glide of Ra’s’ fingers beneath his shirt. “I, oh!, don’t believe so, master. Why?”

“It’s no matter,” Ra’s said, a small, slightly rueful smile fixing itself on his face. And then his hands brushed over the rough scarring on Hound’s side. “Attend to the moment.”

Hound bit down on a whimper, arching into the touch. He was wearing entirely too much clothing. “Yes, of course. Shirt, master, please – ”

With Ra’s’ help he managed to wiggle mostly out of the shirt, pinning his arms behind his back. Ra’s got this look on his face, like he’s trying not to laugh.

“Still,” Ra’s ordered. He pulled Hound closer and reached around to help him free his hands. Ra’s’ breath on Hound’s neck made him shiver, and the brush of his beard made Hound’s stomach squirm pleasantly.

“Tickles,” Hound gasped.

The side of Ra’s’ mouth quirked up. “Shall I kiss it better?” Hound ignored him, focusing on pushing Ra’s’ robe down his shoulders. His master had long, spidery scars on his right shoulder, and Hound ran his hand over them gently.

“Something catch your eye?” Ra’s asked rhetorically, and pulled Hound’s hand away. He kissed each finger on its tip, lingering over the smooth, shiny scar tissue on thumb and index finger.

“Do you remember when you got these?” Ra’s asked, folding his hand around Hound’s.

Hound nodded. “My hair was not so long then.”

“They were the first you received in my service.” Ra’s kissed him then. Fiercely, suckling at Hound’s bitten, bloody lip. Hound reached blindly and grasped Ra’s’ hair. Hot arousal made his skin flush and his groin throb. “Master,” he groaned into the kiss.

“Hound,” Ra’s returned, pulling away. Hound stared, mesmerized, as Ra’s licked blood from his teeth. He flushed.

“Why – ” Hound swallowed, dry mouthed. “Why’d you stop earlier?”

“Hmm?” Ra’s ground against Hound, and thought scattered. Pants. He needed to lose his pants. Ra’s showed a great deal of enthusiasm for the project, too. Pants and undergarments joined his shirt on the floor, followed swiftly by the robe.

Ra’s kissed the curve of his shoulder, making Hound’s toes curl. Thoughts. Right. Kissing. “Earlier. In the – uhn – the hall. You’d never done that before.” Ra’s’ nails scrape his back, igniting pleasure-pain that makes Hound hiss.

“Stopped?” Ra’s asked, catching Hound’s chin. “Might I not have limits of my own choosing, pet?”

Hound nodded automatically. Of course his master could. But – “I don’t understand. I wouldn’t have refused you.”

Ra’s smile was – strange. Almost pained. “You never have, and I do not intend to give you reason to. I gave my word, years ago.”

“As I gave mine,” Hound echoed. The contract of five years ago, the dividing point between what had been and what now was. He found himself smiling strangely, an expression to match Ra’s own. He shook his head, leaning further against Ra’s. “Weren’t we doing something, Master?”

Ra’s laughed, and Hound drank the sound in like rainwater.

“We were. Up – yes, like that – good,” Ra’s urged, guiding with the brush of hands and the direction of his eyes until Hound was positioned, somewhat precariously, on top of him. A roll of Ra’s’ hips made his cock rub and slip between the cleft of Hound’s ass. Hound’s toes curled tight, and he ground down against Ra’s, making Ra’s groan and dig his fingers into Hound’s hips.

Hound lost his balance and slipped to the side. Ra’s chuckled, tugging him back close and pressing a biting kiss to his neck. He rolled them over, pinning Hound under his weight. Almost lazily, he rolled his hips against Hound’s, Hound pressing up into him at each thrust.

Ra’s laughed, hair falling out of place, shading his fever-bright eyes. “Mine,” he said, curling one hand into Hound’s dark hair.

“Yours, yes, always.” Hound’s hands spasmed and he grasped at Ra’s’ arm.

When his master came, in a lazy thrust against his thigh, it seemed almost an anti-climax. Hound sighed, arousal still hot in his veins.

“Come here, pet,” Ra’s ordered, pulling Hound against his chest. He gripped Hound’s cock, nails just brushing against the underside of his shaft.

Hound bit down on his lip hard enough to break the new-formed scab. His master’s _hands_ –

“To see you lose control of yourself, I have always enjoyed that,” Ra’s said, and Hound was lost.

He was wrung out, limp, after orgasm. Barely, barely, he managed to follow Ra’s urging to roll aside, still tangled in his grasp. A blanket was sacrificed to clean themselves, and Hound was aware – vaguely – of Ra’s arranging them as he fell into an exhausted sleep.

***

Hound woke to the unfamiliar sensations of fine cotton and warm flesh against his skin. Blinking open his eyes, he found himself staring at his master’s sleeping face.

What had happened last night …?

Memory came back hazily, and Hound flushed. To be so _disrespectful_ \- his master wouldn’t need to punish him for that, because he was going to _die of shame_.

He slipped out of the bed as quickly as possible, and gathered up his clothes. He could at least put some things to rights before his master woke. And if he distracted himself, he would not have to consider what he had been thinking.

By the time his master woke, the worst evidence of what had occurred was gone. The clothes and blankets left in the laundry, a simple meal set on the side table, and Hound himself standing beside the bed, eyes fixed on nothing.

“Good morning, master,” Hound said, voice cracking slightly at the farce he was committing.

His master looked at him mildly. “And to you, my pet,” but - mercifully - gave no indication he would comment on the previous night.

Morning proceeded as was normal for them, and Hound began to hope the prior night would be forgotten.

At the suite’s door, his master paused. “Last night.”

“Yes, master?” Hound asked, cringing internally. His master’s mouth turned up at the corner.

“You did well, pet.” Ra’s tucked a loose strand of hair behind Hound’s ear. “Come. We have much to attend to today.”

Hound relaxed. “Of course, master.”


End file.
